


Home

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Daddy Charming, Episode: s02e09 Queen of Hearts, Episode: s02e10 The Cricket Game, Episode: s03e12 New York City Serenade, Episode: s03e13 Witch Hunt, Episode: s03e20 Kansas, Episode: s03e21 Snow Drifts, Episode: s03e22 There's No Place Like Home, F/F, F/M, Mama Ruby, Red Snowing - Freeform, Season/Series 02, Season/Series 03, Season/Series 06, Self-Acceptance, Tumblr Prompt, charming family - Freeform, mama Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:31:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12055185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: One change in history can change the future. A collection of one shots of what canon would be if Red Snowing was an established couple.





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> This was submitted to me by loboselinaistrash from a drabble post I reblogged:  
> “That stuff can’t be good for you!” My idea on how 3B would’ve gone if Red Snowing was a couple.

Cravings were nothing new to both Ruby and David. They could remember Snow’s pregnancy with Emma very vividly. She wanted nothing but cheese and chocolate throughout the entire thing. David once even rode his horse into town, late at night, just to get the type that Emma seemed to be wanting. Snow hadn’t asked him to, but he had insisted, anything to make his girls happy.

 

This pregnancy, things seemed to be working a little differently. Snow craved nothing but fruits and vegetables. It seemed that she couldn’t even stand the smell of cheese most days, so it was a banned food in the palace.

 

One morning when David and Ruby headed into the kitchen, they found Snow sitting over a plate filled with chocolate cake. Both arched an eyebrow, this wasn’t like their wife, not at all.

 

“That stuff can’t be good for you, especially not this early in the morning,” Ruby said, causing her wife to look up. “Bub craving chocolate, finally?”

Snow shook her head. “In fact, he or she is giving me hell over feeding them this.” She rubbed her stomach.

“So, what’s the deal?”

She bit her lip. “I just…I just wanted to feel closer to Emma for a minute.”

 

The dining room fell silent. They had been avoiding the conversation for a while. Deep down, they knew they felt the same. They were over the moon excited about the pregnancy, it had been something they had been discussing before Pan’s curse hit. Yet, it was bittersweet. They had no clue where their daughter and grandson were, if they’d ever see them again.

 

David put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re going to be with them again, one day.”

“How do you know that?”

“Aren’t you always the one that has hope?”

“I’ve lost my daughter twice, now. I’m not sure how much hope I’m supposed to have.”

Ruby settled down in the chair beside Snow. “She’s Emma, our Emma. The one who didn’t give up on our people. We’ll be a complete family again, someday.”

* * *

Ruby stood in Emma’s old bedroom in the loft beside Snow. Their hearts were heavy inside their chests. When they woke up in the loft, it was as if no time had passed at all. The only real indicator was Snow’s swelling baby bump. She hadn’t been pregnant when they were sent back to the Enchanted Forest, someone had to have set yet another curse over them. They had hoped that Emma and Henry would be back too, yet their beds were empty.

 

Ruby’s hand slid through Snow’s. There were no words that could ease either mother’s pain. Downstairs, they heard a knock on the door, but didn’t move. Not until they heard a voice, a very familiar one at that. It wasn’t…it couldn’t be…

 

They rushed down the stairs and they saw her, their little girl. She looked just as she had a year prior, if even more vibrant. Snow couldn’t help it, she ran directly to her daughter and threw her arms around her. Ruby joined in on the hug, tightening it. Emma was clearly caught off guard, but hugged them tighter.

 

“As you can see, there’s a lot that’s happened,” David said. “We just can’t remember any of it.”

Snow pulled away from her daughter, placing a hand on her cheek. “Where’s Henry?”

“He’s at Granny’s.” Emma’s face fell a bit. “There’s um…there’s something I should probably tell you now.”

“What is it?”

“The memory potion Hook brought to us…it was only enough for one person.”

Ruby bit her lip. “So, Henry doesn’t remember us?”

“As far as he knows, I’m an orphan, that he’s the only family I have.”

Snow let out a deep breath. “Well, then I guess it’s up to us to help him get his memories back. Just like he did with us.”

 

Ruby couldn’t help but notice the doubt in Emma’s eyes. Before she could question it, everyone was grabbing their coats to head to the inn.

* * *

David collapsed onto the bed next to Ruby the following evening. Snow walked over, distributing the mugs.

 

“What’s wrong, David?” She asked.

“It’s Emma…she um…she was engaged, back in New York.”

Ruby nearly choked on her tea. “She what?!?”

“I guess the Wicked Witch hired a flying monkey to charm her, pretend to be her soulmate. If Hook hadn’t shown up, she would’ve married him.”

“He could’ve killed her, before we got her back,” Ruby whispered.

David tilted his head. “There’s that.”

Snow raised an eyebrow. “What else could it be?”

“What if he hadn’t been a minion of hers? What if Emma had found her actual soulmate in New York? What if she had gotten married without us there? Missing yet another milestone?”

“But that didn’t happen.” Snow placed her hand on top of his. “She’s here, we’re not going to miss anything else.”

Ruby nodded. “Our family is back together. That’s what matters.”

 

That relief only lasted so long. As they continued the search for the book and eventually tried to come up with a plan to defeat Zelena, Snow came to realize that her daughter planned on leaving Storybrooke. She had only just gotten her daughter back, how could she lose her again? She told David and Ruby about it, but when Henry got his memories back, they assumed it was over.

 

That was until David brought the baby back to the hospital after they saved him from Zelena. Ruby went to the door to get Emma and Henry to meet the baby, when she overheard her daughter and Hook talking.

 

“Has your power been returned since Zelena’s been defeated?” He asked.

“No.” Ruby felt a pang in her heart. Emma’s magic was what made her special, she knew how hard she had been working on perfecting it with Regina.

“I’m sorry, love,” Hook said.

Emma shrugged. “That’s okay. I won’t need it in New York.”

 

Ruby froze in place. New York? Emma still planned on going back to New York? Henry had his memories back, Zelena was defeated. Their family had just grown, she was a big sister! And yet…she still planned on going back? She had to play dumb when she heard Emma calling for Henry to meet the baby. It was a time for celebration, not for worry…

 

The following night, Snow and David were sleeping while Ruby sat in the rocking chair that Marco had built, cuddling her son. She felt her heart swell with love for him, just as it had when she got to hold Emma for the briefest moment before David brought her through the wardrobe. The past few days had seemed to be a repeat of that. When David and Emma went to go find the baby, she had held Snow while she cried, tears falling down her own face. They had the same fear: would they lose their son for 28 years as they had their daughter?

 

“Ruby?” Her head snapped up and found Emma standing there. “What are you still doing up? Seems like the little guy is asleep.”

“Just appreciating some quiet time.”

“Can I know his name yet?”

“Tomorrow.”

Emma rolled his eyes. “That whole thing is super annoying.”

“Welcome to royal family tradition.” She let out a deep breath. “So, I um, I heard you talking to Hook yesterday.”

“Please do not turn into Snow, there is nothing going on between us.” Emma said, settling into the chair next to her.

“Good to know, but I actually meant what you said, about New York.”

She froze. “Did you tell David and Snow?”

“No. I didn’t think they needed that after all they’ve been through.”

“Ruby…”

“I don’t get it. Henry has his memories back; the curse is broken. Zelena is defeated. This place is safe again.”

“For now.”

“I don’t think this has anything about safety. Let’s not pretend that New York is some magic bubble.”

 

Emma sighed, knowing that her mother was right. She folded her arms over her chest, not really wanting to get into it.

 

“Either way, it was home.”

Ruby tilted her head. “Because you forgot about this one.”

She scoffed. “You sound like Snow.”

“She told me what you said to her, under the curse. How until you got here, you didn’t have anyone. You called Mary Margaret your family, an apparent stranger. You wouldn’t let her leave, you listened to her when she told you to stay. What’s different now?”

“Everything, Ruby! You all have a new baby…”

“And that doesn’t replace you. We want to be a family, a real one.”

Emma sighed. “I think it’s too late for that.”

 

Before Ruby could say anything else, Emma headed back up the stairs. In the dark, no one could see the tears that fell down Ruby’s face. They were really going to lose her again. The next day when Emma’s plans were revealed, Ruby could see the same hurt on her spouses’ faces. David headed into the back to try to call Emma, his wives following him.

 

“She’s not answering,” he mumbled. He met Ruby’s eyes. “You didn’t look too surprised.”

“We talked about it last night,” she admitted. “She thinks it’s too late for us to be a real family.”

“Of course it’s not. It’s only going to turn into that if she leaves again.”

“I think she’s scared, David.”

“Scared of what?”

“That this is real, this is where she belongs. She’s been running for so long, when she finally got us back, we had to leave her again.”

“Not like that was our choice,” Snow pointed out. “Pan did that to all of us.”

“I know that, she knows that. But it doesn’t change the hurt she’s been through. For the past year, she thought she was an orphan again, she comes back and we’re having another baby.”

Snow looked down at the baby in her arms and kissed his head. “This is terrible. We’re losing her again.”

“Maybe not,” David said, trying to remain hopeful. “I heard Regina and Robin talking. She said there’s no way in hell she’s losing her son twice.”

“Emma could still leave.”

“Like she would ever willingly be separated from Henry.”

“She could still visit.” Snow sighed. “At least we’d see her then.”

“If she’d even want to see us,” Ruby mumbled.

“No matter what, we’re family. Look, she’s not leaving yet. Let’s just try to focus on the present. I’m sure once she comes back, she’ll be calmed down and we can all talk.”

 

The party went on, but it wasn’t the lively affair they were hoping for. Without Emma there, it didn’t seem like much of one at all. They decided not to do the name reveal until she returned. Just as they were all cooing over the baby, the doors to the diner opened and Emma rushed in, running directly into their arms.

  
“You weren’t answering your cell, we were worried,” David said.

“I’m fine,” Emma breathed. “I’m home.”

 

The three spouses exchanged a look, not wanting to get their hopes up. There was something about Emma, she looked happier than she had before, despite her tear stained face. She was looking at them in a way she hadn’t in quite some time, with all the love in the world.

 

“Does that mean you’re not leaving?” Snow asked.

“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere.”

Henry jumped up from his seat. “We’re staying in Storybrooke?”

“Yeah kid,” Emma pulled him into a hug, though her eyes stayed on her parents. “This is where we belong, this is where our family is.”

 

Three sets of eyes filled with tears. They didn’t know what had brought about this change in their daughter. They knew that the problems between them weren’t going to magically go away, they had to work on their relationship. Trips to Archie were probably in order. None of that mattered, though. Their baby girl wasn’t leaving.

 

Emma looked over at Snow. “Mom.” She glanced over at David. “Dad.” Finally, her eyes locked on Ruby’s. “Mama. I missed you.”

 

They pulled her into a big hug, not letting go for what seemed like forever. Nestled between them was the newest member of their family.

 

“Mama, I’m sorry for what I said, about it being too late,” she whispered.

“Don’t be, pup,” Ruby kissed her temple. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I never wanted to hurt you three, I haven’t been meaning to, but I know I have.”

“It’s okay,” David assured her.

“But how?” Emma looked up at all of them. “How can you forgive me?”

“Sweetheart, you have been through so much. We cannot imagine being in your shoes, you’ve been having to process so many emotions.”

“Besides, no matter what,” Snow gave her a soft smile. “You’re our daughter. We will always love you, no matter what.”

“I…I love you guys, too.”

 

It was the first time Emma had let out that admission, but after her whole crazy journey in the past, it felt right.


	2. Lucky Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was submitted to me by loboselinaistrash from a drabble post I reblogged:   
> “Luck? Nope. Skills.” - “If it’s skill then do it again.”   
> Set during season 6.

David adjusted the bow in his arm, holding back the arrow, looking around quickly. He felt like a child in the moment, sneaking around with a weapon. Back in the Enchanted Forest, he was skilled with a sword. Emma had taught him how to successfully shoot a gun so he could be a proper co-sheriff. There was just one weapon that he wasn’t adequately trained for: archery.

 

He had recently asked Snow and Ruby to give him lessons with the weapon. Snow had learned from Hercules in her teens and Granny was just as skilled as both of them combined, so of course her talents were inherited by Ruby (though she preferred to use her wolf side in battle). He expected to pick it up quickly, but his wives weren’t making it that easy. They insisted that he start off with a beginner’s bow and wooden arrows. Something about it being for his safety and everyone else’s. Without the curses, he’d be a man in his 60s! He had even taken a shot from Ruby’s and nailed the target with no problems.

 

_“Beginner’s luck,” Ruby had told him._

_David smirked. “Luck? Nope. Skills.”_

_“If it’s a skill then do it again.”_

 

He had tried, only to fail, hitting the opposite tree. Before asking if he could try again, Snow insisted that he put it away before he took out someone’s eye.

 

With Gideon being controlled by Fiona, they were all taking shifts so Emma was never alone until they could figure a way to stop the fairy. Emma insisted she didn’t need a babysitter, but they didn’t listen. They were not going to lose her again. Ruby and Snow were spending time wit her, so David stole the latter’s bow and snuck off into the woods.

 

He released the arrow and it hit the target. Feeling accomplished, he went to load another, but got distracted by birds rustling through the trees. He let go of the arrow too soon and it went soaring down into his leg.

 

“Shit,” he cursed to himself, sliding down a tree and wrapping his arms around the wound. He knew better than to remove it from the area and pulled out his cell phone. An ambulance would take too long and he knew his family would find out eventually, so he just bit the bullet and called Ruby.

 

Her Camaro came zooming over the dirt path not 10 minutes later. He had decided to wear shorts that day, so the wound was open for all to see. Ruby jumped out of the car along with Snow and Emma. All looked panicked, though there was a look of disappointment in his wives’ eyes. Emma rushed to his side and inspected the wound.

 

“I can take care of this,” she said.

 

Emma lifted her hand to the area, but her hands began shaking, her eyes glossing over. It was clear that she was having yet another vision. Snow put a hand on her back and slowly, her hands returned to normal. David winced, both from the pain in his leg and the amount his daughter was going through. The visions had stopped for the most part, but when she was stressed, they returned.

 

Magic was released from her palms and the arrow was removed, returning to Snow’s archery bag. The cut soon healed as well, though she stopped her father from getting up.

 

“I removed the wound, but you’re still going to be in pain for a bit. Let Mama and I help you to the car,” Emma explained.

 

She and Ruby helped him up and lead him to the car, Snow grabbing her bag. The ride back to the loft was silent for the most part, outside David asking where Neal was. (Ashley had agreed to watch him in case they had to go to the hospital.) Ruby kept her eyes firmly on the road, as did Snow. Emma was simply rubbing David’s arms, knowing that her mothers’ silence proved just how angry they were. Both had hot tempers, but one could tell they were furious when they got scarily quiet. Emma could remember even Mary Margaret being the same when she had attempted to kidnap Henry. She didn’t even know that she was her mother at the time, but she knew to take her words of advice seriously.

 

Once they got back to the loft and Emma had helped her mothers get her dad set up in bed, she offered to go get Neal from daycare. She knew that none of her parents wanted her to be alone, but she insisted it would be okay and that she’d head to Regina’s afterwards. It was better than her pretending to not hear what they would be arguing about up in her room.

 

David watched his wives walk around slowly, propping up his leg and getting him some tea. Both stood in front of the bed when they were done, arms folding over their chests.

 

“You both look scary right now, could probably give Fiona a run for her money,” he tried to joke.

Snow cocked an eyebrow. “This is funny to you? You could’ve blinded yourself and you’re making jokes.”

“You have to remember this is the man that woke up from a coma and went for a walk,” Ruby quipped.

“See, Ruby’s joking,” David said. “You can’t be that mad.”

“We’re not mad.” She sighed. “We’re just disappointed. David, what the hell were you thinking? I’d expect this from Henry, maybe even Emma, but you?”

“You said learning to wield a sword took time, I thought you’d understand that archery was the  same,” Snow added.

“We don’t exactly have time in this situation,” he mumbled.

 

Snow and Ruby exchanged a look before sitting on either side of him. The joking charm in his eyes was gone and he looked suddenly terrified.

 

“What does that mean?” Snow asked.

“Fiona is getting worse by the day and we still haven’t found a way to get Gideon’s heart back. I know Rumple’s trying, we all are. But…I just want to be prepared. I know he says that Emma is destined to fight the final battle alone, but maybe it doesn’t have to be like that. I’m not stupid, I know Emma can fight for herself, she’s just like her mothers.” He spared them both a small smile. “I just want to be able to help her, I can’t lose her, not again. I don’t want to fail her again.”

Snow frowned. “David, you have never failed her.”

“Do you forget that you fought off dark knights while holding her and she didn’t get a single scratch on her?” Ruby pointed out. “Or all the times you’ve been there for her since.”

“I just feel so helpless right now,” he whispered.

“I know.” Ruby rested her head on his shoulder.  “So do I.”

“Count me in.” Snow snuggled up into his side. “This isn’t something we can prevent, so we just need to be prepared to fight and we will. We are not going to lose our daughter, I will fight for her until my heart stops beating, we all will.”

“We just can’t do that if you’re impaling yourself,” Ruby told him. “Plus, we’re kind of attached to you, you know.”

David slightly chuckled. “Good to know.” He gave each of them a kiss.

“Please just don’t do this again, we’ll continue the training, I promise,” Snow said, seriously.

“I promise. I know this was stupid, never again. For now, I think I’ll stick with my strengths.”

 

They all stay snuggled up together, David wrapping an arm around each of his wives. The silence was back again, still scary as before. Snow was right, they would fight with their daughter with all they had.

 

They just hoped it was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw & justanoutlawfanfiction or my Twitter: justanoutlawfic.


	3. Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to write this after talks on Tumblr with some people about David being a stay-at-home dad.

The loft had been home to David, Ruby and Snow for many years. It had been the first real home that Emma ever had, the place where they all became a family. However, their family was expanding. Neal would be going on 2-years-old soon and Ruby had recently found out that she was pregnant with their third child. With Emma still living with them, along with Henry every other weekend, they knew that the loft was just getting too crowded.

 

One of the homes that the realtor showed them was on an abandoned farm, with lots of acreage. Snow was excited to be able to plant a garden and Ruby was planning on building a tree house for the kids with the help of David. It had enough rooms for all of them, they were even talking about getting a dog.

 

David had been debating something for quite a while and once Ruby announced her pregnancy, he knew he wanted to do it even more. He loved working at the station with Emma and getting to spend time with her. However, he found himself not loving the work that he was doing on a daily basis. It was nice to interact with the citizens, he just didn’t feel that being co-sheriff was right for him. He wanted to try to be a stay-at-home dad.

 

Ruby and Snow loved the idea. Neither of them had to work, they had enough money from their fortune back in the Enchanted Forest, but they enjoyed what they did. Snow had never pictured being a teacher back where she was from, but after spending three decades doing so, it was something she loved. Ruby felt the same about Granny’s. She knew that eventually her grandmother would want to retire and she would take over the business. While it could be stressful, she loved interacting with the customers and the other waitresses. If they were living out what made them happy, they wanted David to do the same.

 

Emma knew she was going to miss her father working with her, but she had been able to tell that he wasn’t passionate about the job for a while. Things were finally calm in Storybrooke. Fiona was gone, Gideon had been turned back into an infant so he could be properly raised by his parents. Snow had been right that night in the street: it was a beginning for all of them, a fresh start. For David, that meant being a stay-at-home dad. With the help of Regina, she had found a deputy along with some other members of the police force, ensuring that she would have some more time for her family as well.

 

As it turned out, David took to being a stay-at-home dad just as well as everyone expected. That first day, the women headed off to their various jobs and David hung back with Neal. They did some art projects together and watched some T.V. He did some housework during his nap, managing to do some repairs around the house as well. When Neal woke up, he decided it would be nice to have some treats for when Emma, Snow and Ruby got back home.

 

They all arrived around the same time (Emma and Ruby had arranged to do day shifts only for the time being), greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies. When they entered the kitchen, they found plates gathered around the counter tops, of various kinds. Emma’s favorite, chocolate chip, along with Snow and Ruby’s (oatmeal raisin and sugar respectively). There were some with just plain chocolate and a few that he had used food dye with to make them different colors. Neal was munching on a red one as he played with his trains on the floor.

 

“Wow, someone went a bit overboard,” Ruby teased, pecking his lips.

“You can never have too much cookies,” David told her.

Emma nodded. “I agree.” She plucked a cookie off the plate and nibbled on it. “Wow Dad, these are really good. I didn’t know you could bake.”

He shrugged. “I grew up with a single mom, you just pick up on these things.”

“I don’t know how we can possibly eat all of these, as good as they smell,” Snow said with a smile.

Emma lifted up a plate. “I’ll take that as a challenge.”

“Oh no you won’t.” Her mother took the plate and gave her a warning look. “We’ll eat some of these, but we can give the rest to family and friends.”

David saw the pout that fell upon his daughter’s lips and chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. “Don’t worry, Em, I’ll make sure I save your favorites,” he whispered. She sent him a thankful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw & justanoutlawfanfiction or my Twitter: justanoutlawfic.


	4. Parent Teacher Conference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was submitted to me by loboselinaistrash from a drabble post I reblogged:  
> "I bet you can’t go 24 hours without cussing."

Snow, David and Ruby had always been good friends with Ella. It started back in the Enchanted Forest when Snow helped lead her to Thomas. David had made sure that they’d be able to keep Alexandra in spite of the contract. Even under the curse, outside Emma, Ruby had been one of the few people that actually believed that “Ashley” could take proper care of the baby. So, when it came to Neal’s daycare, of course they selected her. After all, who else could they trust him with?

 

About a year and a half later, they got a call from Ella asking them to come in for a parent teacher conference. They found it to be a bit odd, Neal was only 2. What could they really need to talk about? Either way, there they sat in front of her desk. Neal was a few feet away playing with some blocks, unaware to what was going on with his parents. Ella crossed over and sat in front of them all.

 

“Okay, in this minute, I’m not your friend. I’m Neal’s teacher.”

Snow raised an eyebrow. “Okay.”

“As you know, he’s talking more now and he’s doing quite well,” Ella began, wanting to start off on a good note. “However, lately, he’s been using some…language that’s not appropriate. At first I ignored it, figured it was a one-off thing. However, the other children are picking up on it.”

“What kind of language?” Ruby asked.

 

Ella slid a piece of paper forward and she internally groaned. That four letter s-word was something she heard often coming from the kitchen. David looked over and started laughing. They had all agreed to be careful with their language, but it was harder for someone in their household than the others. Mr. Disney never would’ve guessed that Snow White would have such a potty mouth.

 

“We’ll work on it with him, I promise,” David said.

Ella let out a deep breath, a smile going across her face. “Thank you. This was just so awkward, you guys are my friends…”

“It’s fine, El, don’t worry about it. We’ll see you and Thomas for dinner this weekend?”

“Of course.”

 

David reached down, lifting Neal into his arms and together, they all walked out of the daycare.

 

“Snow, you really need to watch your mouth,” Ruby told her.

Snow’s mouth dropped. “I do not curse!”

“Really? Because the kitchen would know differently.”

“And the garden,” David added.

She rolled her eyes. “I never do it when Neal’s around. Do I, sweetie?” She kissed her son’s cheek.

“Shit,” Neal said proudly.

 

Snow turned pale, causing her spouses to hold back chuckles. David looked down at his son with a stern face.

  
“Nealy, we don’t say that word, okay? It’s naughty.”

“’Kay, ‘kay,” Neal said, quickly being distracted by his stuffed bear that was poking out of Ruby’s bag.

Ruby pulled it out and handed it over to him. “See?”

Snow rolled her eyes. “He could’ve picked that up anywhere. Emma, maybe.”

“Wow, blaming our other baby. That’s cool.”

“I bet you couldn’t go 24 hours without cussing,” David teased.

Snow folded her arms over her chest. “Alright, I get it. I don’t want Neal talking like that, so I’ll try to stop.”

David grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Hey, no need to get all defensive. We’ve all done stupid stuff that Neal’s picked up on. Remember when Ruby accidentally taught him how to flip people off?”

“I still don’t know how he saw me from his car seat,” Ruby mused, thinking back on her mini-road rage. “Or how he managed to hear David calling Blue the d-e-v-i-l.”

“That one wasn’t so bad,” David argued.

Ruby chuckled and took Neal from him. “The point is, we’re all screwing this kid up. You’re not alone in this Snow.”

“No parent’s perfect,” David added. “He’s going to turn out fine.”

“You think so?” Snow asked, chewing on her lip.

“Look at Neal.” He gestured to his son. “He’s a happy, well developed kid. And the perk is, we have an adult daughter. We know we don’t just have 16 more years to teach him stuff. We were a positive influence in Emma’s life, we will be with him too. He’s still learning right from wrong. Don’t be too hard on yourself. We just love teasing you, it’s our job as husband and wife.”

 

Snow poked out her tongue and kissed each of them before looking over at Neal. Only 2-years-old and he was already starting to give her wrinkles from all the frown lines. She wouldn’t trade it for the world, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw & justanoutlawfanfiction or my Twitter: justanoutlawfic.


	5. Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Emma and Snow returned from the Enchanted Forest.

Ruby sat back in the booth, staring at her family in front of her. Finally, Snow and Emma had returned, David was out of his sleeping curse. Everything could go back to normal.

 

Or as normal as things could be in their town.

 

Her eyes were fixated on Emma. She had spent the curse acting as a friend, heck there was time when Emma was a parent to her. She thought back to when Emma had employed her and taught her to figure out exactly who she was. Emma was a mature woman, she had brought hope to their dreary little town.

 

Could she be a mother to her? Did Emma even want her to? Snow had briefly described her breakthrough with their daughter in the nursery, it proved that Emma was willing to open up to being a family. That was with Snow and David, though. She and Emma barely had a chance to talk about them.

 

When they got back to the loft, Snow and David decided to head to the store to pick up some stuff (David and Ruby had been a bit busy over the past few days to go shopping). Henry decided he wanted to go see his mom and talk things out, it was clear she was changing. As much as he had been separated from Emma over the past few days, he had been the same with Regina. The two women were going to have to work out a co-parenting schedule of some sort.

 

So, it was just Emma and Ruby.

 

Emma was curled up in an arm chair, letting out a relaxing sigh. Ruby took her in, trying to figure out just who she looked more like. She had Snow’s eyes and chin, but her smile and hair was all David. Even her arms seemed to be something she had inherited from both of her parents.

 

“If you took a picture, it’d probably last longer,” Emma said.

Ruby snapped out of her thoughts. “Sorry.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of that since we got back. Heck, even before Snow and I got dragged through the portal, you were just staring at me. You let Snow do all the talking.”

“I guess I just…I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. What is there to say? I don’t even know what to consider you…or what you think of me as.”

Ruby bit her lip, hurt filling her eyes. “Of course I think of you as my daughter.”

“ _Of course_.” The disbelief dripped off her tongue.

“Emma…”

“This is just weird, okay!” Emma jumped out of her seat. “You know, all my life, I just wanted two parents. I wanted them to come back and tell me why they left me. Then I get here, find out not only were they just trying to protect me from a freaking curse of all things, but I have three parents!”

 

Ruby drew back a deep breath. Ever since Snow got pregnant, she feared that a day would come when Emma wouldn’t consider her, her mother. She just didn’t think it would come like that. She knew the situation was different, it was all new for Emma. She didn’t understand the relationship and she wasn’t used to be in love, not by one parent, let alone three.

 

“Growing up in the system, it was always made clear that I was the foster kid, not the biological child,” Emma continued before Ruby could say anything else. “Ever since I was a baby, that’s been how it’s worked. I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own kid, so I got sent back. Now here there’s you…how do I know that you really think of me as your daughter?”

Ruby gulped down the hurt. “When your mom got pregnant, I was so incredibly happy. I helped David with the nursery, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for you. I loved you before I even met you, even though I knew that we didn’t share DNA. Then you were born…”

“And David put me through the wardrobe.”

“Not before I held you.”

Emma tilted her head to the side. “What?”

“You haven’t looked at Henry’s book very closely, have you?”

 

Emma didn’t say anything. Ruby walked over to the table where the 11-year-old had left it. She flipped forward towards the end, just after the page of the three of them looking down at the baby in awe. There was Ruby, cuddling Emma close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Emma froze, the look in her eyes made her heart break into a million pieces. It was only a painting, but it looked just like Snow’s did in her vision of the day she was born.

 

She knew the pain, she had gone through it 11 years prior when Henry was born. She had to listen to his cries, but do nothing as they carried him out of the room. She had to give him up to give him his best chance. Just like her parents had.

 

Just like Ruby had.

 

“I insisted on holding you. I took you and held you, just for a few moments. Though, if I had it my way, I would’ve done it forever,” Ruby whispered, thinking back to the moment. Emma had been so tiny. She was born a month early, so her little head just barely poked out of the top of the blanket. She had stared up at Ruby with wide eyes, as if she wanted her to do something. “But I had to give you to your dad…so you’d be safe. Then I laid down next to your mom…”

 

She flipped forward to a page that Emma had never seen before. On it was a picture of Ruby keeping a tight hold of Snow as she sobbed. It was clear that Ruby was in just as much as distress as Snow. A pang filled her heart and she bit her lip.

 

“I’m not showing you this to make you feel bad, pup. I just…I need you to know that I love you. These past few days when you and your mom were gone, it’s been some of the hardest of my life. Once the curse broke, I just wanted the three of us to start over. I know things haven’t gone to plan. I may not have carried you in my stomach, but I love you just like I had.”

 

Emma didn’t know what to say. She stared down at the page before looking back up at Ruby. In the Enchanted Forest, she realized just how much David and Snow had given up for her, she could see it for Ruby now as well.

 

“I’m sorry I accused you of not caring,” Emma said, finally. “That…that wasn’t right.”

Ruby shrugged. “I know this is going to take time.”

“I don’t…I mean…I’m not ready to call any of you like Mom or Dad or whatever…I just need you to know that I’m trying to accept this.”

“That’s all I ask. You know, I do get what it’s like to not know your parents.”

“You do?”

“Well, you know I’m a wolf, right?” Emma nodded, that much she remembered from the book. “Granny didn’t like that part of her and for my safety, when I was a baby, she kidnapped me from my mother. I didn’t know her until I was much, much older. In the end….she turned out not to be the person I expected.” Ruby gnawed on her lip. “She almost killed Snow, she tried to turn me into someone that I wasn’t. I just need you to know, Em, I’m not perfect, but I love you just the way you are. You don’t have to change to be our daughter, you already are.”

Emma sighed. “I’m not a princess…”

“You’ll always be a princess, you born into it. But you wanna know something? Your dad and I placed bets that you would be a female knight in the kingdom, just like me.”

“There are female knights?”

Ruby smiled proudly. “I was the first. And if your mom hadn’t been so attached to her princess title, I think she would’ve become one too. You don’t have to change to be a part of this family, Emma. We’re not looking to break down your walls or anything. We just want to be let in.”

 

Emma slowly nodded. She hoped in time, she could let them in fully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw & justanoutlawfanfiction or my Twitter: justanoutlawfic.


	6. Misunderstanding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JustMeAndMyKeyboard requested: How about one where Emma overhears the trio talking about trying something new and completely gets the wrong end of the stick over what they're talking about?
> 
> This one takes place sometime in season 2.

 Emma was still trying to wrap her mind around the whole polyamorous relationship. She had heard of polygamy in the past, but this was clearly different. Snow, Ruby and David were married to each other, it was an equal marriage. Even if it wasn’t legal in this realm, the rules were different from where they were from. Heck, even in this realm, laws didn’t matter. They were in love, they were happy.

 

Going from having no parents to three that loved her unconditionally at once was a lot to handle, but she did want it to work out. They were trying to find their way as a family. Snow had recently brought up the possibility of moving, the loft seemed to be shrinking by the moment. Even with Henry living 75% of the time at Regina’s, they wanted a bigger home. It would be hard leaving behind her first real home, but she found she wanted to follow them. There was nowhere else she’d rather be.

 

One night, she returned from the station and heard her parents talking in hushed voices. She paused in the doorway, making sure that they couldn’t see or hear her.

 

“I’m just not sure who would be the better option,” David was saying. “We’re only just getting on better terms with Regina.”

“Right, but Archie?” Snow raised an eyebrow. “We barely know him.”

“I do, he came to the diner all the time under the curse. He’s really sweet.”

“I’d just prefer it to be Regina. It would prove that we’ve all come so far.”

Ruby tilted her head. “Well…maybe Snow has a point.”

David sighed. “I guess we don’t have to rush into this. We have plenty of time to find someone to marry us.”

 

Emma’s eyes widened. Were her parents looking for a fourth person to add to their family? They had described just how they fell in love and it seemed to be special. The way they were debating adding Archie or Regina to the family, it was as if they were just any other polygamous couple.  Would this new person be like her new parent? How awkward would that be, being her own son’s step-sister? Regina being her step-mom?!? Oh heck, no.  There was no way that she would be okay with that.

 

They had all agreed to talk about big changes before they happened. How could they be discussing adding someone to the family without talking to her? Did they really not consider her to be a part of it? Her heart sank in her chest. She had spent so long searching for a family and thought she finally had found it. Apparently, she was wrong.

 

Emma silently shut the door and pretended to enter for the first time a few moments later. She headed up to her room without a word, ignoring her parents calling up after her. She stayed up there until dinner, only going down because she knew it would just lead to more suspicion. She knew she wasn’t supposed to know yet, so she had to act like nothing was wrong.

 

That proved to be harder than expected. Snow was being her normal self during dinner, extra sweet, making sure Emma got enough to eat. David was joking around and laughing. Ruby even asked Emma about her day at the station. After a while, it got too much to take. She couldn’t handle the façade anymore.

 

“Are you really not going to tell me?”

David raised an eyebrow. “Tell you what?”

“You know what I’m talking about. I came home when you two were arguing about Archie and Regina.”

Snow laughed a little. “Oh, well, do you have an opinion one way or another?”

“It doesn’t really matter. I don’t exactly think that either are your type, anyway.”

“What?”

“Regina may be a part of our family, but she still thinks Dad is a moron. And Archie? Really? He’s more like a family friend than anything. He’s not husband material for the three of you.”

 

Ruby, David and Snow all exchanged a look, before bursting out laughing. Emma huffed, folding her arms over her chest. They thought it was funny?

 

David was the one to finally calm down first. “You really think we’re considering married Archie and Regina?”

Emma nodded. “You said you were trying to figure out who should marry you.”

“Yes, marry us, Emma. As in, we want to renew our vows and need a minister to preside over them. The one who did it in the Enchanted Forest is no longer with us. As mayor, Regina is ordained. Archie shared with us that he is as well,” David explained.

 

Emma slowly relaxed, feeling blush spread to her cheeks. David put a hand on her back and Snow gave her a soft smile.

 

“Sweetheart, you need to know that we share true love. Just the three of us, that is something that’ll never change,” Snow said. “But any changes to the family, we’d discuss it with you first.”

“We should’ve talked with you about the vow renewal,” Ruby added. “We just decided on it recently, things have been so hectic since you and Mom got back from the Enchanted Forest. We want you to be a part of it.”

Emma nodded. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

“Next time, just talk to us, pup. We’re a family now, any choice we make, we make as a team.”

“I know, it just takes some getting used to.”

“Well keep getting used to it.” David squeezed her hand. “You’re not alone.”

A small smile went across her face. “Thanks…I don’t have to wear a dress to this vow renewal, do I?”

Snow laughed. “Don’t worry, we’ve already discussed it. You can wear a suit.”

“Yes!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw & justanoutlawfanfiction or my Twitter: justanoutlawfic.


	7. Fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JustMeAndMyKeyboard requested a one shot where a situation revolving Emma leads to the trio having an argument, leading Emma to stress and one of her parents to comfort her.

It was no secret that even though Emma was 30 years old, she still sometimes acted like a reckless teenager. There was a rapist on the loose, drugging people at the Rabbit Hole and bringing them back home. Emma decided to take it upon herself and go undercover, to try to catch the guy. She clearly didn’t think it through, however, and nearly got herself seriously injured. Luckily, David had been suspicious about why Emma was spending her evenings at the Rabbit Hole. He had managed to save Emma and put the guy behind bars. He was angry with Emma for putting herself in such danger, but decided not to tell Ruby and Snow, knowing they would freak out too.

 

However, it didn’t take long for Ruby to figure it out. Leroy had been at the bar and asked her how Emma was holding up after all of it. Ruby stormed into the loft that night, hands on her hips. Luckily, Snow wasn’t home yet.

 

“David!” She exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me about Emma?!?”

David bit his lip, standing up. “Who told you?”

“Does it matter? Our daughter put herself in danger last night, she could’ve been assaulted or even worse!”

“Look, I knew you and Snow would freak out. I already had a talk with Emma about it…”

“I’m still her mother!” Ruby interjected. “I can see not telling Snow, but I can actually handle this information.”

“Excuse me?” Snow’s voice came from the doorway, causing them both to turn around, turning pale. “What can’t I handle?”

David sighed. “Emma decided to take it upon herself to go undercover at the Rabbit Hole last night. I saved her before things got too bad.”

“But he wasn’t going to bother to tell us,” Ruby interjected.

“And you weren’t going to tell me!” Snow threw her hands up in the air. “The three of us are her parents!”

“I just didn’t want to worry you,” David attempted to defend himself. “I handled it.”

Snow rolled her eyes.  “You don’t think we’d want to talk to her about it? Or that we don’t deserve to know?”

“Of course you do! I was just trying to make things easier.”

“On who?” Ruby asked.

“Don’t you even go there,” Snow glared at her. “Why couldn’t I have handled this?”

“Because of how you get around the kids, you’re so super protective, there’s no way you would’ve let her out of your sight and that’s not what she needs. That’s only going to lead her to  be even more reckless.”

“I’m only so protective of the kids because of how often we almost lost them.” Snow scoffed. “I’m sorry for caring.”

“I’m not saying it’s wrong…”

“Clearly it is.”

 

Soon, the three were arguing. They knew deep down this was all because they were so tired from being up with Neal. If they weren’t, they would’ve just agreed not to keep secrets anymore. Deep down, both women knew that David really was just trying not to worry about them. Snow also knew that Ruby was partially right about her being so protective. However, in that moment, they weren’t thinking clearly.

 

What they didn’t realize, was that Emma was listening at the top of the stairs. She lowered herself onto her bed, glad that Henry wasn’t there. She could remember her foster parents arguing, it never seemed to end. One couple had been particularly sweet, but when they divorced, she was removed from her home. She had started this fight between her parents. They never fought, ever. Their split was going to be on her hands.

 

Eventually, Snow decided to walk away from the argument and headed upstairs to talk with Emma. She saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees to her chest. She sat next to her, giving her a soft look.

 

“Emma, you know we know now, don’t you?”

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I just…I didn’t mean to cause problems between you, Mama and Dad.”

Snow raised an eyebrow. “Sweetie, you didn’t cause these problems with us.”

“If I hadn’t gone undercover…”

“Then you would’ve been a lot safer,” she agreed. “However, that’s not why we were arguing. We were arguing because your dad didn’t tell us and Mama didn’t think I should know.”

Emma shrugged. “If I had told you, Dad wouldn’t have needed to.”

“And why didn’t you tell us?”

“I guess…I didn’t want you guys to be mad at me.”

“I’m not exactly thrilled with you, that’s for sure.”

“So…you, Mama and Dad…you’re not getting a divorce?”

Snow smiled and stroked her daughter’s cheek. “No, sweetie. We’re arguing, but we’ll make up, eventually. We all share true love, nothing could ever change that.”

 

Emma nodded and rested her head on her mom’s shoulder, snuggling into her side. Snow wrapped an arm around her, cuddling with Emma until she fell asleep. Eventually, David and Ruby came up, sitting on either side of her.

 

“She was worried about us splitting up,” Snow whispered.

David softly smiled. “Like that would ever happen.”

Ruby sighed, looking at her wife. “I’m sorry I said I got him not knowing you. I love how protective you are.”

Snow sighed. “I know it can seem like overkill, I just worry.”

“I know.”

David looked between the two of them. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I really just didn’t want you to worry. I thought I had the thing under control.”

“David, Emma has three parents,” Ruby squeezed his hand. “We’re all here to help you when she pulls stupid stuff like this.”

“You really think she’ll do this again?”

“Nah, I think she’s learned her lesson this time.” She leaned into the other side of Snow. “No more secrets?”

“No more secrets,” David and Snow agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, Tumblr or Twitter. I have two Tumblr accounts: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction. My Twitter is: justanoutlawfic.


	8. Charlotte

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by ussjellyfish: "I've never done this before" Red Snowing.

Ruby had never wanted to kill David more in her life. She knew it took two to make a baby (or in their case, three), but in that moment all she could think about was the fact that he had done it to her. She could no longer think about how it’d be worth it in the end, that they’d soon be meeting the next member of their family.

 

She clung to Snow and David’s hands, letting out a scream as she pushed again. David looked frightened, just as he had with Neal and Emma, while Snow was determined to get her wife through it.

 

“You’re doing so great, Rubes,” she cheered her on. “Just keep pushing.”

“God dammit, it hurts,” Ruby growled.

David allowed her squeeze his hand as hard as she wanted. “You’re almost there, you’ve got this.”

“I’ve never done this before, maybe I don’t know how to.”

“It’s the most natural thing in the world,” he assured her. “Snow’s done it, you can too.”

 

Letting out another push and a final scream, a tinier one could be heard ringing out. Ruby glanced down and could see Whale holding a tiny baby in his arms.

 

“It’s a girl,” he announced with a grin on his face.

 

He placed the baby onto her chest and Ruby began crying once more, this time out of pure joy. With both Neal and Emma, there hadn’t been much time to enjoy things. This time, however, there was no villain, no danger. She was able to look down at her youngest with all the love in the world.

 

“Hey there my little wolf,” she whispered. “You’re so adorable.”

David sniffled, the tears clouded in his eyes. “She’s got your nose.”

“She does.” She kissed the top of the baby’s head.

 

Whale delivered the after birth and cleaned off the baby, quickly returning her to Ruby’s arms. She cradled her daughter close, with Snow and David sitting on either side of her. (Ruby no longer wanting to kill the latter.)

  
“Another baby girl,” Snow said. “Neal’s the lone boy.”

“I think he’ll be happy to hold onto that title,” David said with a chuckle.

“The only question is, what are we going to name her?”

Ruby considered it for a minute. “I’ve always liked the name Charlotte.”

Snow grinned. “Charlotte.”

“Charlotte Eva.”

“Really?”

“Emma’s middle name is Ruth, Neal’s is Robert…hers deserves to be Eva.”

The tears finally fell down Snow’s face, stealing a kiss from Ruby. “Charlotte Eva Charming.”

“A perfect name, for a perfect baby girl,” David agreed.

“Call our other babies,” Ruby said, her eyes not leaving Charlotte’s. “I need them here with us.”

 

Not long after, Emma was walking into the room, holding the hand of 2-year-old Neal. He scrambled up onto the bed and sat on David’s lap, peering down at his baby sister.

 

“Baby,” he said.

David nodded. “That’s right, bub. This is your little sister, Charlotte.”

“Charlie-lette,” Neal decided, fondly.

Emma chuckled. “Looks like he’s picked a new name,” she said, stepping forward. She looked down at the scene, her heart skipping a beat.

Ruby took hold of her hand. “Hey….still my baby girl.”

“Our baby girl,” David agreed, putting a hand on her back.

Snow nodded. “Always and forever.”

 

A tear fell down Emma’s cheek. She bent down and reached over, stroking the baby’s cheek.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte. I’m your big sister, Emma.”


	9. Believe In Yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by loboselinaistrash: Please can I have “You’re holding back.” For mama Ruby? Thank you!

Emma started down at the books, letting out a frustrated sigh. She had gotten her GED once she got out of prison, but college was never an option. Now that she had her parents and son back in her life, she wanted to do something to make them proud, especially now that she had two baby siblings. She wanted them to have a good example to look up to. So, she had enrolled in some online classes to get her criminal justice degree. It was a hell of a lot harder than she thought.

 

School had never been her thing. The only times she could remember really trying was in the rare great foster home, like Ingrid or the couple that Lily had ruined her chances with. She hadn’t finished her sophomore ear when she ran away and managed to escape being pulled back into the system for good. Being a bail bondsperson didn’t require an education and considering the original sheriff of Storybrooke hadn’t been college educated, it wasn’t a requirement. Even so, she figured it’d help her with the job.

 

She did decent her first semester, but now things were getting rough. She had failed her first math test and if she didn’t get at least a 70 on her next, there was no way she’d ever pass the class. It was no use, it had been a stupid idea. She should be focusing more on helping Henry to go to college or making sure that the town was protected from another attack.

 

Grabbing hold of her books, she chuckled them into the wicker waste basket by the desk.

 

“I need a drink,” she mumbled to herself.

 

A few hours later, Ruby walked into Emma’s room, holding a large laundry basket. With four adults and the occasional teenager in the house, they all split up chores evenly. Laundry was the most soothing for Ruby. Even though there was a ton of it with two little ones under 5, it was still something that kept her calm. Especially when Neal would sit with her and help her fold.

 

She was putting away Emma’s sweats when she saw something poking out from the trash. At a closer glance, she saw they were Emma’s textbooks. Scrawled out on her planner was “call school to resign.”

 

Oh hell no.

 

She headed downstairs and found Emma playing with Wilby in the living room. There was a glass of wine out as well, with a half empty bottle next to it. Emma wasn’t really a wine drinker, except for when she was stressed out.

 

“You’re dropping out?”

Emma looked up at her. “You’re spying on me?”

“I was putting laundry away.”

Emma sighed. “I’m going to flunk out anyway.”

 

Ruby frowned and sat next to her.

 

“No, you’re not.”

“I am. I flunked my first test and I doubt I’ll do any better on the other.”

“So, we’ll get you a tutor.”

“Mama…”

“You’re holding back from your potential, Emma. I don’t want that for you,  that’s what I did every day under the curse.”

“That was different, you couldn’t control how you acted.”

“Exactly, but you can Emma. You’re unbelievably smart and you can do anything you set your mind to. You’ve mastered magic and I guarantee that’s a lot harder than College Algebra. So what if you struggle with one subject? Get help, try again and get back out there.”

 

Emma wanted to argue, say that she couldn’t do it. Yet, she saw the determination in Ruby’s eyes. She believed in her, that was still something that she was getting used to. Sure, Ingrid had as well, but her intentions weren’t pure like Ruby’s. Emma thought about what she would do if it were her own child. She wouldn’t let Henry up and quit either. She had so much faith in him, probably more than he had in himself. Maybe that was a parent’s job, to believe in their child, even when they couldn’t see it.

 

She sighed. “You’re not going to let me quit, are you/”

“No chance in hell. I doubt Snow and David would either. You’re lucky I was the one who found it and not them. You know your mom and her hope speeches.”

Emma chuckled a bit. Little did her mama realize, this was a hope speech, just in her own way. “What if I fail?”

“And what if you do amazing?” Ruby put an arm around her. “I believe in you, Emma. I’m not going to let you quit on yourself.”

 

The next couple of days were spent with Emma getting a tutor and working it out with her professor for how she could retake the test. She knew that she wouldn’t walk out of the class with an A, but she’d pass and that was the important part. All of it would be worth it the day she got to


	10. Separation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by loboselinaistrash on Tumblr: Can I have Red Snowing with Emma “sorry. i didn’t mean what i said.”
> 
> A basic fix-it to how Emma handled Henry’s adoption in season 2. Takes place after the party in The Cricket Game.

The funny thing about words is once they’re said, they cannot be taken back. It was a lesson Emma had learned the hard way growing up. When she met her parents, she would realize that she had inherited her father’s tact and that was part of the problem. The other was that she didn’t know how to trust and to let people in. She wanted to protect her heart from being broken again, what was left of it anyway.

 

Which was why it was hard to find out that she had not two parents, but three of them. The idea that someone who didn’t share her blood could care for her as much as Ruby did, scared her. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe it could happen-she knew that Regina loved Henry as if she had given life to him-she just didn’t think it was possible for her. All those years of feeling like the misfit child, the one who was never chosen.

 

Now, she was being chosen by Ruby and it scared the ever living hell out of her.

 

Ruby knew she was dealing with a 28 year old woman and not a child. She had the advantage of being close to Emma under the curse, just as Mary Margaret had. Even so, she knew that a parent’s job didn’t stop just because their child was grown. Granny still cared for her and gave her advice, she probably always would.

 

So, when Emma was trying to figure out how to work out a custody plan with Regina, her parents were trying to help her figure out what was fair.

 

“I’m lucky Regina even agreed to this,” Emma mumbled the night of her and Snow’s welcome back party.

 

After Regina left the diner, she had made it clear that she wanted Henry to come back living with her. They had worked on their relationship and while there was more work to be done, Emma knew clearly how much she cared for her son. She didn’t have a say in Henry going back, but she felt comfortable with it. She had been wrong for trying to take Henry from her, Regina had every right for her to want to leave town. However, what Emma said was right. The days of Henry only having one parent were over. Emma couldn’t just leave town, now that she had her parents back, and it wasn’t as if she could pretend Henry didn’t exist. So, they were changing their adoption plan so it would be more open.

 

“I’m thinking, maybe 50/50,” Emma said, finally.

Snow tilted her head. “I don’t know, sweetheart.”

“What? Under the curse you wanted me to pursue custody.”

“Yeah, that was me cursed. Now that I’m awake, I know that’s not right. Regina is his mother, no matter what our feelings are on her.”

David nodded in agreement. “I don’t think you should rock the boat by asking for so much. Storybrooke is a small town, you’re going to end up seeing Henry a lot as it is. He doesn’t need to spend the night here for you to be his mom.”

“He’s right, pup,” Ruby said. “I think you should ask for weekends, plus suggest that if Henry wants to spend the night more, it should be his choice.”

“We don’t know if Regina will allow that, though,” Emma said with a frown.

“Well…she is his mother.”

“I know that!” Emma threw her arms in the air. “I chose to give him up without selecting parents, so he ended up with her." She saw the way her parents looked at her and she let out a frustrated sigh. “I wouldn’t change who he ended up with for the world, I know Regina loves him. I just…I don’t want to miss out on more time with him.”

“I understand that.” David rubbed her back. “But at the end of the day, you have to respect her wishes.”

 

Emma knew subconsciously that her parents weren’t necessarily siding with Regina, just looking at things from a realistic point of view. She also knew that she wasn’t angry with Regina for her choices, she was more upset with herself. Years ago, she chose to go with a closed adoption because she thought it’d be easier on her. If she ever saw the child, she’d want contact and to be around, there was no way that she could give them up again. The plan had worked well. She had thought about Henry over the years, but it was easier to know that he was in a good home.

 

Then he showed up and took her to Storybrooke. She opened her heart to him and now she had to live with her choices. Ones she wouldn’t take back, she couldn’t have raised him 11 years ago. Still, it was hard and it was exactly why she hadn’t wanted contact in the first place.

 

“Well, you know what, unlike some of us, I actually want to be in my child’s life,” Emma said.

 

Hurt fell across Ruby, Snow and David’s faces.

 

“We wanted to be in your life, Emma,” Snow whispered. “But it wasn’t as if we had much of a choice, we had to keep you safe. I thought you understood that.”

“I do. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m fighting for my child, something you never did.”

“We did fight for you!” David argued. He saw his wife trying to tell him to calm down, but he was too far gone. He respected Emma’s feelings and knew how much it had to hurt to find out what had happened when she was a baby, but they had their own as well. “We did everything we could to try to stop Regina, to make sure that you were safe! I am sorry it wasn’t good enough, Emma, and I will spend the rest of my life feeling guilty over that. You can be angry, you can hate us, but you cannot say that we didn’t try.”

 

Emma sat there, staring at her father. This wasn’t the man who had flip flopped between Mary Margaret and Kathryn. This wasn’t the person who had given up hope in the former when she was a possible suspect in his wife’s “murder”. No, this was a man who had been through a hell of a lot as she witnessed in the storybook. He had lost his parents, his twin brother, battled an evil step-father. Just when he finally got his happy ending, it was all ripped away.

 

He had fought like hell for their family and in the end, he failed. Just like she had fought for the town and felt like she had when Henry almost died. She wasn’t really angry with them anymore for what they had done, she was angry with the situation and it wasn’t fair to take it out on them.

 

“You’re right,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t mean what I said. I’m just stressed out.”

David let out a choppy breath. “I know, and I’m sorry. I know how hard this is, to get your child back, only for it to be very complicated. Just be happy that you have Henry back at all.”

 

Emma nodded. She knew that she had gone too far and she didn’t expect her parents to say it was okay. She saw the forgiveness in their eyes and that made her squirm a bit, it wasn’t something she was used to. She also knew that they understood what she was going through, even worse. They had given up a baby and gotten back a 28-year-old. It wasn’t fair. She could only imagine how the situation would’ve gone if she had been adopted as a child. She would definitely feel torn between those who raised her and the people who had made the hard choice to give her up.

 

It wasn’t fair to keep putting Henry in the middle. This whole situation was hard on him, even if he was putting on a brave face. Asking for weekends and suggesting that maybe they let him decide how he spent his time was the fair way to go. Regina was reasonable, she wanted what was best for him just as much as Emma did.

 

Under the curse, she hadn’t had any guidance for how to do the right thing, now she did. She was really lucky to have her parents back in her life.


End file.
